New Delhi: The Delhi End TB Summit has begun on Tuesday, March 13, at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital. The summit, which is being co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, WHO South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and Stop TB Partnership, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said that India has set the aim to eradicate TB from India by 2025.

As global leaders are meeting here for the Delhi End TB Summit to review ongoing efforts and accelerate action to reach 2030 End TB goal, here are 10 facts about tuberculosis you need to know. Take a look below:

2.Signs and symptoms of tuberculosis include - a cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss, etc. Symptoms may be mild for many months. People ill with TB can infect up to 10-15 other people through close contact over the course of a year.

3.The bacteria that cause tuberculosis can develop resistance to the antimicrobial drugs which are used to cure the disease. This is known as Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

4.Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is a disease caused by TB bacilli when it becomes resistant to at least the two most powerful anti-TB drugs – isoniazid and rifampicin.

5.Anyone can get tuberculosis, however, certain factors can increase your risk of the disease. For instance, individuals who have been recently infected with TB bacteria, substance abuse, people with medical conditions that weaken the immune system such as -

HIV/AIDS

Diabetes

Severe kidney disease

Certain Cancers

Drugs to prevent rejection of transplanted organs

Some drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis.

6.According to the WHO, tuberculosis (TB) was responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2016, despite most cases being curable.

7.Over 10 million people contract TB every year. WHO South-East Asia Region, which hosts about one-fourth of the global population, shares a disproportionate 46% global TB disease burden.

8.As per the Global TB Report 2017, India topped the list of seven nations, accounting for 64 percent of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in 2016.

9.Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. Active, drug-susceptible TB disease is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. Without such support, treatment adherence can be difficult and the disease can spread. The vast majority of TB cases can be cured when medicines are provided and taken properly.

10.Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The health ministers of a number of countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Peru and Brazil are also expected to participate at the End TB Summit in Delhi.